The N.C. Department of Labor recently recognized 22 NCDA&CS sites with awards for workplace safety. The awards program is designed to increase safety at private and public workplaces statewide by recognizing employers and employees for maintaining safe work environments.
Two levels of awards are presented annually and both are based on federal laws that govern workplace safety across the country. The awards take into consideration the number of incidences of lost work days or restricted work day hours per 100 employees at each site. Work sites posting rates that are 50 percent less than the industry average for a given site are eligible for recognition.
“More than half of our sites were recognized for their safety efforts, which is good,” said Chip Riedeburg, NCDA&CS safety director. “This honor coupled with being recognized with five very prestigous Carolina Star Safety Program awards speaks well for our focus on safety. In fact, NCDA&CS leads all other state agencies in Star certification, which I am proud of. ”
The Food And Drug Protection Lab was one of 22 NCDA&CS sites to receicve a safety award from NCDOL
The Agronomic Services Lab, Border Belt Tobacco Research Station, Cherry Research Farm, the Hoyle Griffin Animal Disease Diagnostic Lab and Standards Lab are all award recipients in the Star Program.
Workplace safety benefits employers and employees, said Eursula Joyner, safety awards coordinator with NCDOL.
“On the employer’s side, the benefits include reduced workers’ compensation costs and increased productivity,” Joyner said. “Employees enjoy a higher quality of life and better overall work experience.”
The Labor Department’s Safety Awards Program began in 1946. Each year about 2,000 awards are given to more than 3,330 public and private firms across the state. NCDOL presents awards to the representatives of the various sites at banquets around the state. The banquet for the Raleigh area where the NCDA&CS awards were presented was held June 10 at the Crabtree Marriott.